Maverick Angels: Treasures Of The Tenshodo
by RevivedPhoenix
Summary: A story derived from the members of the MaverickAngels LS. A small coup is organized within the Tenshodo and fifteen sealed weapons of untold power are lost in the chaos. What will become of these weapons and who will stop their misuse? Maverick Angels!
1. Of All The Chickens That Flew The Coup

_**Update:** Sentence flow / Error corrections (June 13, 2008)_

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**Maverick Angels: Treasures Of The Tenshodo**

**Chapter 1: Of All The Chickens That Flew The Coup...**

In a dimly lit den just off the shores of the Elshimo Lowlands, four figures stand shrouded in darkness. The windowless room the four beings stood in lay hidden in a grotto notorious for its scaly inhabitants and other foul unworldly creatures, as well as those who dared to call this place 'home'. The room smelled of moist ebony lumber, consistently wet from the salty kiss of the ocean wafting through the Quay where many less than favorable exchanges have taken place over the past several decades.

Within the ebony wood walls of the seaside gathering grounds, one of the four shrouded figures steps forward, facing the remaining three. Although his appearance is muddled by the lack of light in the room, one can make out the being to be an older white haired Hume. The Hume spends a few moments rummaging through the deep pockets of his long white jacket until it appears that he has found what he was looking for. The man withdraws a single stone of flint in one white gloved hand and a small dagger in the other. Bringing the stone to the base of the dagger's blade the old Hume swiftly scours the weapon with the stone, sending a shower of sparks from his hands. The small embers rain down onto a piece of parchment lying atop the rosewood desk before the white clothed Hume. Within seconds the modest bits of heat begin to take their toll on the piece of paper. Several small flames are born unto the darkness, dancing from their origins they grow and overcome the scent of the ocean, trailing lines of smoke before the face of their creator. The white haired veteran of life quickly rolls up the burning parchment, successfully tucking the flames into its tip. Lifting the scroll from the rosewood desk the man guides the small flames in the blackness around them to a bit of bees wax encompassed within a luxurious glass and bronze housing. The tiny licks of fire jump from the nearly consumed roll of parchment and onto the center wick of the bronze lantern.

The lit lantern slowly grows in strength as the flames take hold of the wick, purging the blackness of the room from the close proximity of the grandiose container. Eerie elongated shadows are strewn about the small den, all finding their centers originating from the same point. The most prominent of the shadows belongs to the bearer of the flames; the old Hume dressed in white. What the darkness hid before in its clutches of mystery is now visible through the light that shone forth from the lantern. The Hume man appears experienced through out the ages as the wrinkles and lines of his face etch his stories of turmoil and praise for all to see. Concealing several of these lines, as well as his left eye, lay a sturdy blood red bandanna tied about the Hume's forehead. Indeed, he had seen his share of battles and strife.

Of the three remaining figures in the room stood a tall orange haired Elvaan man, a masked Hume dressed head to toe in black cloth, seemingly in his late teenage years, and a woman with shoulder length auburn hair not many years beyond the masked Hume to her left. The tall Elvaan, to the left of the young masked Hume, stared intently at the burning lantern.

"Norg never seems to disappoint the curious of heart with its rare treasures. I've not seen a Tonberry lantern this close without having to fear the rancor of those green devils."

"I suppose ya be right in that aspect Corilinos. Norg be the harbor of many unique an mystical items even I cannot claim t'fully understand t'this day." the aged Hume behind the rosewood desk spoke aloud.

"I reckon ya three know that I'd not be callin' ya all the way t'me chambers just t'view me newly acquired Tonberry lantern. There be more important matters t'discuss at this early hour of the dawn."

The trio before the white clothed Hume all nodded in unison as if guided by the other two's thoughts instinctually.

"Good, good. It not be a remarkable thing however. Every member of the Tenshodo has heard the news, even down t'the very last scallywag on the outskirts of our territory. I'd not be surprised had even some of the well connected land lubbers of the great nations come t'be aware of our recent losses."

The white haired elder Hume altered his attention to the masked shorter man, to the right of the tall Corilinos, directly in front of him who had shifted his weight a mere three degrees to his right side in thought. Avoiding aligning vision with the older Hume until his thought process was finished, the young man in black connected his line of sight to the right eye of the white appareled man before him and proceeded with his verbal questioning.

"What exactly was stolen during the coup d'etat though? We haven't received exact notification as to the actual nature of the stolen goods from the strongholds of Norg."

"I'd be as daft as them scraggly packs of Opo-opo outside the Sea Serpent's Grotto t'have sent out any more information on the subject. Now that ya be here though, I suppose I should indulge yer fancies with the knowledge of the past couple long days. Three days ago a good dozen or so scurvy dogs who identified themselves t'be from the Jeuno outpost of the Tenshodo took refuge from a storm in the Quay. Foolish as we were we allowed the soaked bilge rats t'spend the night recovering from the weathered trip in the only available quarters we had unoccupied."

A softer voice broke through the hardened consistency of the other three in the conversation.

"You thought nothing of some washed up members from Jeuno finding port here, huh? It must be an everyday thing to have them coming and going through here." stated the red attired auburn haired woman to the right of the masked Hume.

"Ya be proper in yer judgments little one. It be commonplace t'find those of the Tenshodo trading treasures here an oftentimes it be the only safe haven t'deal in such taboo matters without the risk of being confronted with the laws. The crew that arrived here was t'be allowed t'spend the night in the brig of our last unoccupied ship that sat in the Quay. It not be one of them fancy pants rent-a-rooms where ya get t'curl up with them fluffy Moogles but it be shelter from the storm. Nothin' was out of tide 'til the early hours just over two days ago where I woke t'hear Comitiolus crossing blades with a good half dozen of the filthy thieves. I be right in choosing the likes of him t'guard me office. T'cut our little chitchat at the knees me mates an I fought off the scoundrels, but avast, not before succumbing t'their scurvy plots."

The old Hume stared deeply into the Tonberry lantern's flame as he crossed his white dressed arms before his chest. The trio across from him stood intently awaiting his next words as he gazed in thought, almost remorse. Seconds passed before the ebb of the silence was broken.

"You still didn't tell us what they stole."

Corilinos and the masked Hume quickly turned their attention to the young female of the group as the white haired man in the blood red bandanna simply grinned an aged toothy smirk and continued to peer into the flames.

"Koriandr, what do you think was stolen? It must have been something of great value to the thieves." Corilinos motioned with an open palmed hand to the woman two bodies to his right.

"It was a weapon." the masked Hume muttered more under his breath than to the group while staring off into the slowly spreading blackness in the corner of the room.

This nearly unspoken verse was enough to knock the experienced Hume from his trance with the fires of rancor.

"Ya seem t'have the pirates sense of value at hand! It be many weapons however, fifteen t'be on the mark. Not much be getting' by ya Ninja types, ehh Tigerhawk?"

Corilinos and Koriandr looked inward toward the young Hume identified as Tigerhawk between them both in question as to how he acquired this knowledge. They had not known Tigerhawk to have experience in the ways of the Tenshodo besides the previous missions that they had been called upon to accomplish before by the white clad man behind the rosewood desk in front of them.

"Me mates and me may not have been bladed for such an onslaught on our own docks but I'd be damned if I allow me house t'be ransacked like some war worn seaside village." the one-eyed man shouted as he slammed his previously crossed arms, fists down, onto the desk before him, nearly shaking the life from the flames that had grown dim from nearly consuming all of its resources within the lantern.

The loud thud of the surprisingly sturdy clenched fists bluntly dropping to the desk sent an echo through the room as it ricocheted off the damp ebony wood walls. Almost instantaneously, in response to the sound, the only door leading into the room had opened hastily. Comitiolus, on the other side, quickly poked his black and white masked face in to inquire about the rumble that shook even the door that he was, seconds before, propped up against.

Comitiolus' face, even in the dim light of the dying lantern mixed with the outer lamps in the hallway behind him, was obviously scarred and scathed badly. The caked blood on the wounds had turned a rusty brown and hardly even appeared to be healing in the downtime since. With an open handed semi-wave from the now unclenched white five fingered glove, Comitiolus nodded in heavily concealed pain and backed out from the threshold of the doorway, closing it behind him.

"As ya can see, we be not fully settled in rest from the bout. However, we lost not all the sealed weapons in the chaos. Of the greater dozen of the fish-lipped bilge rats a few were unable t'escape with their prospected loot. I personally saw t'the disposal of these wretches after claiming back two of the fifteen weapons they possessed."

"I trust that you recovered information as to where the rest of the group was planned to reorganize." Corilinos stated as if he had done so many times before.

The old Hume shifted his vision toward the protruding end of his great katana at his side. His visible eye gleamed with the reflection of the rancor flame between the wrinkles that outlined it. With an almost sinister smirk he continued on with the conversation.

"Ya know… often times -- in the heat of battle -- before the wrongs done t'ya have been corrected it just makes more sense t'give in t'the blade an let it speak the words kept behind yer lips. Also, I might have misspoke the order of which we claimed back the two weapons and tearing the throats from the scrawny gulls; at least for the first three seadogs. I be afraid me mates and me don't have much t'go off of from the remaining survivor of the coup. Before chewing out his own tongue he muttered not a word of the damned. The Sahagin in the grotto made quick work of his bloodstained corpse being the little piranha they are."

Koriandr spoke from the three, almost on their behalf as it became brutally obvious as to the group's next inquiry.

"Where then can we search for clues as to the whereabouts of the remaining thieves? You must have a heading if you called us here."

"Aye, me mates came t'me a day ago with news of one of the thieves. They said he be headed into the village of Kazham an from their view it was just the one of them. They lost his trail coming upon the Temple of Uggalepih, the cursed home of them Tonberry you were so privy about Corilinos."

Corilinos' gaze shot from the elder Hume to the Tonberry lantern and back to the crimson banded man.

"So they brought back a lantern. The rancor of the devils is sealed within it." Corilinos said, almost as if telling himself his own thoughts aloud.

"Me mates brought back the lantern an what information they could muster from our only available source -- the blasted Tonberry themselves! They came upon the wounded body of the single Tonberry while tracking the hidden thief an, lo an behold, in a last ditch trade for his life the bloody reptile traded the information that he procured about the thief as well as his unlit lantern as a sign of his steadfast oath of truth in his words."

As the fires of rancor drained the last bit of fuel from the wax around them a faint puff of smoke escaped the dying breath of the heat. To Corilinos and Koriandr this gray wisp came and went unnoticed. However, to the shaggy haired Tigerhawk, a half second glimpse of what he thought to be evil embodied in an ominous sign emerged and threw itself into the air, dissipating a fraction of a second later.

"I need ya crew t'ride over t'Kazham an speak with a Mithra who had a run in with the thief outside the temple. Do yer crew an ya understand?"

As the darkness once again enveloped all within the room the faint smell of smoke gave in to the power of the sea's kiss, succumbing to her will. The smell of the wet ebony wood returned and all grew quiet in the pitch black of the grave-like room.

"Yes, Gilgamesh…"


	2. A Tale Of Two Tails

**Maverick Angels: Treasures Of The Tenshodo**

**Chapter 2: A Tale Of Two Tails**

Along the northern coastline of the Elshimo Lowlands, on the outskirts of the Yuhtunga Jungle, a small village populated mostly by Mithra and a few domesticated Opo-opo sits between an ocean and dense foliage. This village, although small, is often heavily traversed by many adventurers and travelers alike. It is a prime location for sight seeing of the rare flora and fauna, only found on the continent of Elshimo, as well as an adventurer's milestone for honing their skills and tactics. However, this beautiful land is not without its inherent dangers. Many unknowledgeable and unfortunate beings have ventured deeper into the jungles than they first expected to, only to find an untimely end. The lucky are found, on the verge of death, but sustaining enough will to survive. The ones that explore further into the Yhoater Jungle rarely are experienced enough to find the trail back from whence they came. Those unenviable few become fodder for the Mithran folklore they tell to their young, and very often the tourists, as a lesson to the unprepared. As is tradition, the Mithra of Kazham only stray far enough from the village to hunt for game and gather supplies to support their humble way of life. Any citizen caught attempting to leave the village for reasons beyond this is exiled, on the spot, by the Chieftainess; a strong and proud Mithra by the name of Jakoh Wahcondalo. For this reason alone, a vast majority of the population of Kazham has had generation after generation raised within its territory; however, there is always the rare exception…

A loud stamping of feet, hardened by the terrain of which they trotted, came barreling upon the village just before dusk. Although the stampede only consisted of three individuals atop their sturdy mounts, the sounds could be heard by the two lookouts at the village gate. Their means of transportation, three large Chocobos covered head to calf in sleek black feathers, steadily slowed their pummeling of the ground beneath them as they came within several dozen yards of the inhabited land.

"_The village of Kazham, known far and wide for its sweet and fiery Mithkabobs; rivaled only by her citizens._" Corilinos said aloud to Koriandr and Tigerhawk who were quickly in tow behind him.

"_At this time of the afternoon I'm surprised to still see adventurers leaving the village._" Koriandr added as the trio passed by a small band of four young Elvaan and two Humes.

"_By their appearance it seems as if they will be staying within the vicinity of the village's territory. I doubt their intention is to get lost in the jungles this close to sunset._" Corilinos responded.

As the three closed in on the gates to Kazham they each dismounted their rides simultaneously. Walking beside their weary transportation the group was now at the threshold of the gates to the nearest thing they could call civilization for miles through the jungles, and even further across the ocean toward the Federation of Windurst.

Opening the leather pouch attached to her own midnight colored fowl, Koriandr dipped her hand inside and drew forth a large handful of Gyshal greens, a type of plant known to carry medicinal properties for those with a palate for bitter foods. Stopping for a moment, Koriandr lifted the snack before the sturdy beak of her chocobo. The large bird picked eagerly at the greens as Tigerhawk and Corilinos stopped ahead to speak with a tall blonde haired Elvaan woman standing beside her own yellow chocobo.

"_You enjoy those, huh?_" Koriandr asked the chocobo playfully as it ate.

A conversation between Tigerhawk and the Elvaan woman took place just out of earshot of Koriandr. She couldn't quite make out what was being said by the two. Once her chocobo was finished with the greens Koriandr wiped her hand clean against the empty leather bag and closed in on Corilinos.

"_What's T.H. up to?_" Koriandr questioned Corilinos as she finished rubbing the last remains of the Gyshal greens from her palm.

Tigerhawk, overhearing her question, turned to Koriandr and Corilinos' direction with a response. The tall Elvaan woman he was speaking with quickly retreated into the small den for something of interest.

"_We're going to need to search for this Mithra here in Kazham; we can't do it on our chocobos while within the borders. We'll leave them here until we can set out again for Norg._"

Turning back to the door that the Elvaan woman entered through Tigerhawk reached into one of his many right handed pockets and retrieved several small coins. Within seconds the pointy eared woman had returned to the grounds before Tigerhawk with various colored treats made specially for the large fowls the band of three had rode in on. Tigerhawk handed the lanky blonde woman the few coins from his pocket and she smiled a wide grin, nodding the whole time as she outstretched the treats to the three black chocobos. The birds responded curiously and followed the woman behind the den, pushing into each other to be first in line behind her.

"_The local auction house should provide our best chance at finding this Mithra._" Corilinos observed. "_In a village as well contained as Kazham there should be some record of her purchasing goods there, if not even a few merchants that regularly deal with her._"

Within a dozen feet of the chocobo stables stood a quaint wooden sign staked into the soft jungle soil. The sign depicted a white gavel before a blue background, the traditional symbol of the various auction houses intertwined between the continents.

"_It looks like we're not far off._" Corilinos spoke as he peered beyond the sign and into the tall mouth of the carved rock tunnel.

The stone archway of the tunnel appeared as well crafted as it was well traversed. The stone along either side within arms reach had been worn smooth by the passing of both time and travelers alike admiring its aesthetics. Around each of the three small bends within the tunnel lay a makeshift torch crafted of pottery clay and a sturdy wooden stake to mount the designed art and flames atop. Passing each of the lanterns, the group exited the tunnel and was quickly met by the various huts that made up the village's center of trade raised a good five feet off the jungle floor by a large plain deck.

"_Let's try this one._" Koriandr proposed as she pointed to the first of the smaller huts that she was eagerly headed towards.

As the group closed in on the circular counter the blonde Mithra within spoke hastily, "_I'll be with you in just a second._".

She jotted down several words and names onto a parchment on the countertop quickly before releasing the pen within her grasp and looking up toward the trio.

"_Rrreal sorry about that. We can't afforrrd to slip up on the recorrrds now can we?_" she said playfully purring as she spoke. "_My name is Cha! What can I do forrr you thrrree?_"

Cha, clothed in the traditional attire of the Mithra, stood eagerly awaiting a response. Her crimson top stopped short at her shoulders, and even shorter at her middle, leaving little to be imagined by the wandering eye of the curious. She leaned in, elbows resting on the wooden countertop that hid her equally revealing, if not even more so, red loincloth. She sat, perched on her arms, with her eyebrows raised awaiting a response.

"_Cha, huh?_" Tigerhawk questioned.

"_Yes'sirrr!_"

"_Well Cha, we're looking for an old friend of ours. We lost touch some time ago and, you see, since we're in the area, doesn't it sound just purrrfect if we could drop in on her?_" the scruffy haired Hume keenly questioned the feline, playing her game of words.

Dropping her head slightly but still keeping eye contact with Tigerhawk Cha smirked and dexterously turned away from him and the counter in a semicircle, sending the frayed ends of her outfit out into the air around them. Her catlike tail swayed back and forth just above the countertop with the same tenacity as its owner.

"_We rrreally arrren't supposed to hand out the vital inforrrmation of ourrr valued customerrrs…_" she stopped as her tail met with a pouch that gave way beneath its weight and clanked with the distinctive sound of coin against its counterparts. Tigerhawk withdrew his gloved hand from the bag, leaving it to the will of its new owner.

"_…but I guess I shouldn't let such superiorrr note taking skills as my own go to waste!_"

Just as agile as before, Cha completed her stalled three-sixty and pocketed the bribe like a child accepting candy. Diving below the desk of the hut with the sounds of coins and papers scattering about, she could not witness Koriandr rolling her eyes nor Corilinos failing at holding back a smirk at the events that just unfolded.

"_Here we -- go!_" Cha stammered as she lifted up and slammed down a very large leather bound book that appeared as if it could contain the entire history of all Vana'diel within its tattered grasp.

"_If yourrr frrriend has everrr bought something herrre in Kazham herrr name would show up in this majestic piece of worrrk._" she said proudly catching her breath. "_Now, whats herrr name?_"

She began fingering through the pages, each one calling out in a 'flick' as she pressed against it, throwing it across the spine of the epic novel.

Tigerhawk, ignoring the mockings of Corilinos and Koriandr behind him, continued on. "_Her name is Tasha. Is she in your records?_"

"_Is she in my recorrrds??_" Cha repeated Tigerhawk's words, seemingly dumbfounded. "_If you arrre talking about who I think you arrre then yeah, of courrrse!_"

The hut's straw canopy shook from the force of Cha closing the book abruptly. Koriandr and Corilinos suddenly grew still and surprised.

"_You could have just told me that you werrre looking forrr Tasha beforrre making me drrrag this beast of burrrden up herrre! It's a good thing you paid well forrr that efforrrt._" Cha popped off, folding her arms and shifting her weight to her bare right leg.

Again, the long auburn haired Hume and the tall spiky headed Elvaan relaxed and darted wide grins at each other behind their younger Tigerhawk.

"_Tash lives at thrrree-fourrrteen down in the rrresidential distrrrict._"

"_Thanks._" Tigerhawk spoke as he turned away from the hut, nudging both Koriandr and Corilinos with his elbows.

The two samurai followed suit and, in tow behind their masked leader, headed for the stone carved tunnel back to the main gate of the village.

"_You goons! You could have cost me more gil had that ditzy Mithra caught on to your games._" The harsh tongued Tigerhawk reprimanded the other two.

"_C'mon little guy, you know we were just having some fun._" Corilinos barreled down on Tigerhawk, grabbing him in a headlock and ruffling his hair.

"_Yeah T.H., the ride here was too long to keep up with our straight faced charade._"

"_Okay, okay._" Tigerhawk conceded. "_You two had your fun, now let me go._"

The two continued poking fun at Tigerhawk as they followed the pathway past the chocobo stables and into the housing area of the village. Every dozen or so steps Corilinos would kick a stray pebble in Tigerhawk's direction and Koriandr would poke him in the side. With each attempt, succeeded or failed, the group became gradually more laid back.

"_The residential area should be just past the next two tunnels up ahead._" Corilinos alerted the group.

Passing through another tunnel, one shorter than the first, the group came upon several village shops selling various weapons and armors crafted to quench the hearty lust for battle of both touring adventurer and native hunter alike. Even further in and through the longest stone tunnel yet the three reached their destination.

"_Three-fourteen, right in order._" Tigerhawk spoke to himself as the trio stopped before a small house.

"_Do we just knock and tell her 'Hey! We were sent here by request of the Tenshodo to find out what you know about the traitors and you better tell us what you know or we'll break your kneecaps!'?_" Koriandr questioned playfully acting out what many expected because of over exaggerated stories of the Tenshodo.

"_How else would we?._" Tigerhawk responded, sending a shocked look down Koriandr's face. He chuckled a little, to Koriandr's surprise, and the two eased back into their previous relaxed state of mind.

Tigerhawk, raising his knuckles to the wooden frame of the double doors, knocked lightly three times. From within the house faint indecipherable sounds could be heard; then nothing. Once again, Tigerhawk rattled against the doorframe. This time, however, the sounds grew louder.

"_That sounds like claws against wood…_" Corilinos announced as the group's left hand double door opened up slowly three or more inches and stopped.

The group peered in, each head over the other by order of height. When they saw nothing but an empty room Tigerhawk nudged the door open further with his foot. The door creaked as it opened slowly until it abruptly stopped half open. Although the door had stopped opening a new noise replaced the creaking sound. A low growl came from Tigerhawk's foot and to the trio's surprise a small blue winged wyvern had bitten down tightly on the tip. Tigerhawk, caught off guard, stumbled back into Koriandr and Corilinos, sending Corilinos reeling back, nearly losing his footing. The blue wyvern released the unfilled tip of the boot and, with a swift beat of its wings, doubled back further into the second room of the domicile.

"_Jeez Tiger! Whats the big deal!?_" Corilinos belted out as he regained his balance.

"_That thing bit my foot! You didn't see it!?_"

"_What thing?_" Koriandr questioned.

"_Just come with me._" Tigerhawk said as he opened up the door the remainder of the way and walked cautiously inside with Koriandr and Corilinos shadowing his every footstep.

"_What exactly was 'that thing' T.H.?_" The orange haired Elvaan questioned.

"_It was a small blue dragon!_" The ninja exclaimed under his breath loudly, not realizing that his attempts at muffling his voice failed.

Ahead around the corner, leading to the back room, the blue reptile poked his head out towards the group. It drew its teeth, tiny and sharp, as it began growling again.

"_That's the damn thing right there._" Tigerhawk stopped, spreading his arms out to either side of him as a sort of barrier for either of the samurai. Quickly he looked down at his boot and the imprint burrowed deep within and looked back up to his attacker. "_A perfect match. That's the dragon!_"

"_He's not a dragon…_" a voice from within the second room spoke aloud in a low, mellow tone.

Slowly, from around the same corner as Tigerhawk's new friend, the owner of the disembodied voice came into view. Orange hair hung down in wild fashion before his face as he stepped out. The man stood there beside the blue reptile, barefoot, dressed in a loose fitting earth toned doublet and matching pants.

"…_Buster here is a wyvern._" the man bent down to comfort the animal, hair still protruding to and fro in front of his face.

__

"Heh, Tiger, that's the 'thing' that made you jump so high into the air that you nearly matched me in height?

" Corilinos chuckled.

Tigerhawk shot Corilinos a quick elbow and an equally sharp glare, both of which were keenly blocked by the veteran as he continued his laughter.

__

"Cutting straight to the point, as it seems that you don't mind that we let ourselves in…

" Tigerhawk stopped, shifting his peripheral vision to the boundary of Koriandr's direction. She obviously caught on to the leading of his words about how earlier they spoke of breaking some kneecaps for the Tenshodo and she allowed a quirky smirk to break through her lips in the right corner. Tigerhawk, mirroring her expression, continued. "_We were informed that a Mithra by the name of Tasha lived here. Do you know her? Is she back there?_"

Seeing Tigerhawk motion towards the back room the man dressed in loose attire huffed out a light hearted laugh.

"_You know, you sure seem to have a lot of questions. How about you sit down over there with Buster and me and we'll see if we can answer some of that curiosity of yours._" the man motioned behind the trio toward a decline in the floor of the main room. The area, surrounding an unlit fire pit, was square in shape and dug only a few feet lower than the hardwood floor of which it was surrounded by.

Walking in a meager stride toward Tigerhawk, passing by both Corilinos and Koriandr on his way, the man stopped before the ninja.

"_What the…_" Koriandr muttered to herself when something out of the ordinary caught her eye as he passed by. In shear surprise she belted out, "_…a tail!?_"

"_My name is Tasha._" the previously unnamed man spoke aloud, lifting his hands to his head to tame the unruly orange strands. Beneath all the hair was the distinctively marked face of the male who claimed to be who the trio had been searching for. His pointy cat-like ears, now released from their ruffled orange prison, lifting up above his head. His ragged tail appeared to mock his own body movements as he stretched while continuing his walk past Tigerhawk. "_Sit and I'll explain._"

"_But you're a guy!_" Koriandr continued to speak in a surprised tone.

"_If it were truly only females in our race it would be hard to keep our generations going, wouldn't it?_"

Koriandr, still awestruck by the situation, followed Corilinos' lead as he stepped into the gathering area. The Elvaan appeared more curious than anything as he squinted at the Mithra and sat down across from him on the other side of the fire pit. Tigerhawk eyed Buster who was still frozen to his guarded position by the entrance to the back room of the house.

"_C'mon now Buster, don't be like that to our guests._" Tasha coaxed the blue creature as he spoke.

Still staring down the masked ninja before him, Buster took several cautious steps forward. As he got closer to the proximity around Tigerhawk Buster set his sights on Tasha and booked it half flying, half running, until he reached the relative safety of the Mithra's resting tail along the hand sanded wooden floorboards. Tigerhawk, matching Buster's distaste for the other, followed suit in a slower manner and joined the others around the dropped square area.

"Yes, _I'm a male Mithra as the more observant of you have already noticed. Buster here is my companion in arms. I think you gave him a bit of a shock, as he likely did for you, when you came knocking on the front door._"

"_Does he always bite every newcomer to your doorstep?_" Tigerhawk asked as he and Buster again shot daggers at each other from their line of sight.

"_Only the ones that he likes._" Tasha laughed as Buster's attention changed to him with a quick bat of the wyvern's tail against his side. Buster lowered his head on his small forearms and closed his eyes, resting against his messy orange haired friend.

"_He's just protecting us is all. Just recently, on an expedition to the Temple in Yhoater Jungle, we ran into some trouble._"

"_That trouble is mostly why we're here to see you._" Corilinos spoke.

Obviously unnerved by the Elvaan's words, Tasha resituated and continued on. Likewise, Buster opened his eyes, still remaining in his position, and looked onward toward Corilinos.

"_What do you know about what happened three days ago outside of the Temple? Who told you?_". Tasha's words were strict and demanding in tone, having altered greatly from his apparently docile previous state.

"_We're from the Tenshodo and as such we have eyes and ears in many places. We were sent, more specifically, to ask you about your attacker. What he looked like, what he said, you know. That sort of thing._" Tigerhawk broke in, heading right to the heart of the matter.

"_Your eyes and ears seem to not know much more than I do about the guy. He was covered in a large tunic and I couldn't see his face before I knew what hit me._" Tasha said as he ran his hand down Buster's back as the reptile slept softly. "_His tunic appeared to be of mage decent but I know for a fact the he attacked me with a dagger, the kind of weapon you'd generally find a thief like him carrying to cut your throat as you pass him by on the street._"

"_A thief disguised in mage attire, huh? Do you suppose Gilgamesh would know of anyone like that from the coup T.H.?_" Koriandr questioned.

Standing up and turning toward the front door Tigerhawk spoke, "_Well, if that's all the information you have to give out then I suppose we're done here._"

"_Wait…_" Tasha hastily jumped to his feet, stirring Buster from his slumber. "_What do **you** know about this guy? He took something from me and I need it back!_"

"_Now we're getting somewhere._" Tigerhawk muttered cleverly under his breath as he returned to his seat. Tasha continued standing before the three. "_Your thief from the jungles is in a bit of trouble with the Tenshodo and we need to catch up to his hide in order to procure back what is rightfully ours._"

"_The Uggalepih Pendant is mine! I was the one to go out and retrieve it from the Tonberry in the Temple, not you, not the Tenshodo and definitely not that damned thief!!_"

Tasha's hair dropped down before his face as he shook feverously. His sharp feline teeth glistened in the light that shown from the red firesday moon outside the residence. The sun had finally set and gave way to its nightly counterpart. Breathing heavily, Tasha regained a fraction of his composure and sat down by the now awakened Buster.

"_Do you know how long it took for me to get that thing from those green skinned monsters? You couldn't count the days without a scholar from Windurst to help you keep track._" Tasha spoke through his still adorned fangs, although they had began their decent back into inexistence behind his slowly relaxing lips. "_That pendant was a gift for my girlfriend, Kaski. No, it was meant to be more than that. The Uggalepih Pendant he stole from me was supposed to be my proposal to her._"

Koriandr and Corilinos peered towards the frustrated Mithra with apologizing eyes and concern. Tigerhawk on the other hand stayed apathetic to his plight, still searching for the right words that would allow him to return to Gilgamesh, this part of his mission completed.

"_You're hunting down this thief I'd assume._" Tasha questioned rhetorically to the brown haired ninja. "_Let me go with you to retrieve the pendant and see that he gets what's coming to him!_"

"_Tiger, he may come in handy on the trip. He's obviously strong enough to survive the rancor of the Tonberry and the attack from the thief. I can't say so much about many others we've come across in our travels._" Corilinos pointed out, assisting Tasha in his plea.

Tigerhawk grinned beneath his jet black mask. He had found what he was looking in their conversation and it showed to both Koriandr and Corilinos.

"_Welcome to the hunting party then!_" Koriandr announced gleefully, jumping from her seat, as soon as she saw Tigerhawk's smile.

"_We leave for Norg at first light. I trust that you will be packed for the trip by then?_"

"_You got it!_" Tasha replied to the satisfied ninja who again made his way to the door, this time with his trusted samurai beside him.

The trio walked through the doorway of the residence and out into the night, now bathed in the red tinted light from the moon. Their exit left a lingering feeling of excitement for both Buster and Tasha. However, just as soon as the three had left, before the front door could even be closed in their wake, a new figure appeared to be coming the opposite direction into the house.

The being, a Mithra beneath a black linen and velvet tunic, stood several steps within the domicile. Her equally dark pants matched the cloth in its dance with the wind that entered as she did. While her face and traditional markings weren't clearly visible behind her wind-strewn hood Tasha could, almost by instinct, identify the new arrival.

"_You had company this late? Aren't you supposed to be resting still?_" the figure called out into the ill lit living quarters.

"_They just sort of dropped by Kaski. Help me light some of these candles, won'tcha?_" Tasha replied to the questioning of his newest visitor.

"_Who were they? The girl and the tall guy eyed me as they left and laughed like they knew something I was completely oblivious to._"

"_I'll explain as I start packing up._"

"_Packing up? You're still injured, you aren't supposed to be going anywhere until you fully heal._" Kaski replied, concerned and confused as she stood next to the center fire pit with her hands faced together but not quite touching at the fingertips.

Her look of befuddlement continued as she closed her eyes and seemed to begin meditating. Between her nearly grasped palms small fractions of light began to gather together into clusters. They appeared to burn with a sort of energy that wasn't commonplace for many of the nations besides those who were brought up by the teachings of the Federation of Windurst. Just as soon as the small flames began to free themselves from her gentle hands she forced her attention forward and released the small inferno onto the various mixed logs in the pit before her. As her energies took hold of the dry timber the room began to glow from its center outward.

"_What were they doing here Tash? I don't recognize them to be friends of yours, even from back in your days with the kingdom of San d'Oria._" she continued pondering as a small wisp of fire energy licked at her thumb. Snapping her fingers in the direction of each of the candles in the corners of the room they suddenly came to life and danced as their predecessor in the center of the room had done moments before. With a light flick of her wrist the embers from within her soft touch shot forth into the air around her like fireworks and disappeared.

"_I need to leave and look for that damned thief._" Tasha began explaining to his better half. "_You know that I cant let him just do what he did and get away with it without any retaliation._"

"_All he took was some of your supplies, right?_"

"_Y-yeah._" Tasha halted in his speech just enough for Kaski to realize that something was wrong; something that he wasn't telling her completely.

"_You still didn't tell me who those three were who just left your house Tash._"

"_They're fellow adventurers who are coming with Buster and me to tail the thief. There's no way I could track him on my own._"

Turning away from Tasha, Kaski slumped down onto the seat of the squared fire pit. She sulked at the news, never one to take it lightly when Tasha planned to go out on extended trips.

"_C'mon now Baroo._" Tasha cooed as he sat down beside her before the crackling fire. The term of endearment he had spoken was used unanimously between the two as a sort of pet name, neither meaning one or the other, but rather something else all together.

"_Why so soon though? You're not even ready yet!_" Kaski spoke as if she understood Tasha's reasonings, or rather - she expected nothing different from him even after all these years - but still didn't agree to accept them.

Putting a clawed blue scale paw against Kaski's leg, Buster unflinchingly curled up next to her, acting as Tasha's wingman in consoling his companion.

"_What makes me ready is having you by my side, knowing that you'll always have my back. That's why I'm going to need you to stay here._"

"_I can't go with you? I **am** going with you Tash!_"

"_You can't, I need you here to keep up the façade that I won't be out for more than a day or two. If Jakoh figures out that I left to the other continents so soon she'll be so furious that she'll not only exile me from Kazham, she'll downright send hunters to gather my hide and hang me from her den. You know how she was the last time I left and I wasn't even born here like the others._"

Kaski again sank in her seat, the deep ebony hood of her tunic dipped below Tasha's vantage of her face, leaving nothing but two strands of auburn hair to lure him closer in.

"_I need you to help me with this Kas, before the trail gets cold. Please?_" he pleaded to her as he slowly lifted the soft velvet and linen fabric from obstructing his view. His hand ran alongside her neck, then, palm to cheek, he felt the dampness of her tears.

"_Let's pack then._" she spoke nearly inaudibly. Standing from her seat, sandaled feet firmly pressed against the floor of the house, leaving Buster to fall head-to-wood without her support in his slumber, she made her demands known with an unnatural haste. "_You're gonna get it you know! Come back in one piece so I can break you into two myself, got it?_"


End file.
